1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a sewing unit for withdrawing knit fabric, such as jersey, from a supply roll thence advancing it to a position for folding the fabric and thence guiding the folded fabric to the sewing zone of a sewing machine whereat it is seamed along one edge so as to place it in tubular form. From the sewing zone the tubular fabric is advanced to a position whereat it is fed and wound onto a take-up roll. More especially, the apparatus, according to the invention, serves to maintain adequate control of the folded jersey material during seaming which, as known by those conversant in the art, is difficult to advance along a desired pathway as well as to maintain the edges aligned when folded, all of which can be attributed to the material's flaccid, stretchable and slidable characteristics.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices are well known that utilize triangle members for folding web material drawn from a supply roll and then feeding the folded material to the sewing zone of a sewing machine whereat it is put into tubular form by the formation of a seam along one side thereof.
Devices are well known that utilize triangle members for folding web material drawn from a supply roll and then feeding the folded material to the sewing zone of a sewing machine to convert it into tubular form and then winding the latter onto take-up rolls. One such known device is shown and described in Italian Pat. No. 931,034; however, such devices are not adapted to satisfactorily accommodate materials such as jersey having the characteristics described above. The known devices for performing this function tend to create high tractional forces on the fabric and the buildup of tension in the latter causes it to move away from the sewing zone during the seaming operation. This results in the formation of an unsatisfactory seam wherein a portion of the fabric at the side of the seam fails to be held at a constant width or the result is simply that certain portions fail to have a seam formed therein.
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus that will overcome the disadvantages of the known devices when converting jersey web material or the like into tubular form. A further object is that of providing an apparatus which causes a slackening of the fabric prior to seaming whereby built up tension is removed and it enters the sewing zone in this manner.